THOMAS NEWMAN NEWS

Apologies

2010-05-03T17:16:00.002-05:00

To anyone reading this, I apologize that this site hasn't been updated in so long. Life gets in the way, etc.

This blog will remain on indefinite hiatus as of now.

To clarify, this site is NOT affiliated with Mr. Newman in any professional way, nor does Mr. Newman read (to my knowledge) any posts, comments or questions posted here. I'm sorry that I have not been able to answer any of these specific inquiries.

Thanks for visiting, and, again, my apologies.

Out of Office

2007-01-26T12:07:00.000-06:00

As you might have heard, I've been asked out on tour at the last minute to play for a guy named Ben. Operations here will be on hiatus until further notice. Thanks for coming and please come back again...

THE GOOD GERMAN now on iTunes!

2006-12-23T02:16:00.000-06:00

An early Christmas present for Thomas Newman fans! iTunes has THE GOOD GERMAN's score available for sampling and purchasing. Amazon lists the CD release date as January 9th.

Amazon also lists the LITTLE CHILDREN CD for January 23rd.

Update: The mystery continues... The GOOD GERMAN score has been taken off iTunes. Ironically, the CD is out and on sale at Amazon.com, but they've confused the cover with The Good Shepherd. If I can't find it in stores soon, I'll be ordering one myself; I just saw the film and the score is just fantastic.

GOOD GERMAN score preview in the new FSM podcast!

2006-12-05T09:09:00.000-06:00

Here's something to start your day off just right: The new Film Score Monthly podcast features, believe it or not, a preview of Newman's THE GOOD GERMAN score (as well as a few other upcoming scores). As the hosts say, people have been waiting a long time for Newman to be forced to do this kind of a score, and it sounds like they won't be disappointed!

Just search for "Film Score Monthly" in your iTunes Music Store and download the latest episode, or download it directly at this link.

I've just become a new fanboy of this podcast, that's for sure.

VARIETY Interview

2006-12-03T12:57:00.000-06:00

A new Variety interview features a roundtable discussion with composers Hans Zimmer and John Powell, Fox Music prexy Robert Kraft and Sony Pictures Worldwide Music president Lia Vollack. Thomas Newman phoned in to contribute to an all-too-brief discussion about the state of film scoring. An excerpt:

"It can be a great time for film music. Does it turn out that way? Not all the time, because there are so many people -- middle-management people -- with agendas that can make things more difficult. I'm so grateful to just be in a room with great players and hang with them, and have lunch with them. Any time is potentially a great time. Yes, you may be shot down, and things may be awful, but things can also be potentially fantastic."

Read the rest, in which Newman reveals some frustration about LITTLE CHILDREN being released only digitally, here.

THE GOOD GERMAN soundtrack release date

2006-11-28T09:45:00.000-06:00

Varese Sarabande has a release date -- January 9th -- and some high praise for Newman's THE GOOD GERMAN score:

An homage to the Golden Age of film noir thrillers, The Good German is a glistening reflection on a bygone era of film. The absolutely brilliant score by Thomas Newman is likewise cut from the cloth of such Golden Age masters as Max Steiner, Miklos Rozsa and his own father, the legendary Alfred Newman. The Good German is one of the best scores of the year and a strong Oscar contender. The Warner Bros. film opens nationwide on December 22. Catalog #: 302 066 781 2

The question is will we see an iTunes release before this? I'm excited for this one folks, and I think it could easily overshadow LITTLE CHILDREN as Newman's Oscar-hopeful.

Shameless self-promotion

2006-11-21T10:22:00.000-06:00

I normally won't be doing this kind of thing, but I just wanted to let any readers here know that I've just launched my personal blog for movie reviews. You can get to know a little more about me and some great new movies by visiting samsmyth.blogspot.com. Bookmark me, leave me some feedback, and stay tuned for more.

Little Children CD release in UK

2006-11-21T10:13:00.000-06:00

Good news, UK fans: Silva Screen Records has announced that they will be releasing the LITTLE CHILDREN CD soundtrack in the UK on December 11th. Read the news item on their official site. For the US, I'm still hearing January, but I'm enjoying my iTunes copy just fine.

Rare Newman scores on eBay

2006-11-15T13:54:00.000-06:00

A quick search for Mr. Newman on eBay turns up a few rare promotional CDs of some of Newman's otherwise-unavailable film scores. If you're willing to pay the price, you can get your hands on complete scores for Phenomenon, The Lost Boys, The Man With One Red Shoe, and others. Thanks to Douglass for the tip!

Still no LITTLE CHILDREN...

2006-11-15T13:47:00.000-06:00

New Line has still not set a specific release date for the LITTLE CHILDREN CD, due in January, and in response to some readers' emails, I'm not quite sure when and if iTunes in UK will release the digital copy.

I can tell you that I caught LITTLE CHILDREN on my recent visit to New York City and while I can't yet agree with some that it's Newman's best work in years, it certainly works beautifully in the film, and you can hear Newman charting some new territory in his arrangements, particularly in the End Titles track. If you're still holding out for the CD, do yourself a favor and purchase this track if nothing else. I'll post a full review of the score soon.

Thanks to everyone who's shot me an email of support. Feel free to post comments here on the blog (see the links under each post). I look forward to and am open to all feedback.

Newman to recieve Frederick Loewe Award

2006-11-15T13:43:00.000-06:00

Thomas Newman will be presented with the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing at the Festival’s annual Awards Gala on Saturday, January 7, 2006 at the Palm Springs Convention Center in California. Festival chairman Earl Greenburg commented, “From Jarhead to Cinderella Man, Newman’s music elevates each of the films he scores to new artistic heights.” The fest will also honor Shirley McClaine, Charlize Theron, David Cronenberg, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard and Michael London.

"Amazing Stories" tracks now available

2006-11-15T13:33:00.000-06:00

Thomas Newman Complete (now up and running again) reports that Intrada Records has released a second volume of the "Amazing Stories" television soundtrack, which features holiday-themed Newman music from the episode "Santa 85." Intrada is selling it for 29.99 and it's limited to 3,000 copies. The tracklist on Intrada's site lists 5 Newman tracks totalling 13:05.

Film Music Radio Interview

2006-11-02T08:54:00.000-06:00

Just when I start this blog, and as I'm going through Thomas Newman's filmography searching for what's available to listen to and what's not, Daniel Schweiger at Film Music Radio comes and drops this 2-hour treasure trove of an interview on me. This is a must-listen for every fan of Mr. Newman. Interspersed with Newman's interview are tons of tracks from throughout his career.

- In Daniel's comprehensive and well-organized interview, Tom drops a hint about his score for THE GOOD GERMAN, saying that it will be a twist on the Old Hollywood style of film music, a step into his father's shoes.

- The interview also confirms that the LITTLE CHILDREN soundtrack CD will not be released until January. So for now, iTunes it is.

Listen at Film Music Radio's On the Score. If you're having trouble streaming the audio, click here for an mp3 you can listen to instead. Check it out!

Welcome to Thomas Newman News!

2006-10-28T23:28:00.000-05:00

Thank you for visiting Thomas Newman News! A fan of Mr. Newman's music since his 1999 AMERICAN BEAUTY score, I started this blog out of a growing frustration that there wasn't a good website updating Thomas Newman's fans with news and developments about his upcoming projects. One website (Thomas Newman Complete) has done a great job with presenting some biographical material as well as interview quotes with Newman, but the site seems to have been abandoned since last year's JARHEAD score was announced.

On the sidebar to the right you'll find first and foremost an up-to-date list of Newman's upcoming film scores and links to the films' official websites. Below that are various links where you can read more about Newman and his work, as well as some additional resources of interest. Please bookmark this site and check back often; I'll be posting any and every morsel of news about what Thomas Newman is working on and how you can hear his work. Thanks again!

LITTLE CHILDREN, directed by Todd Field (who collaborated with Newman on his 2001 film IN THE BEDROOM), has opened in limited release, but there's still no release date for the soundtrack. However, you can sample and purchase the soundtrack at the iTunes music store. Search for Thomas Newman and you'll find it. I'll be sure to post the CD release date as soon as its announced.